1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of packaging conductors, such as optical fibers, having connectors for transporting the conductors with the connectors, and to a packaging apparatus to transport conductors having connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of packaging high conductors count connectors, and a packaging apparatus to transport high conductors count connectors.
2. Related Art
The conventional method of packaging High Fiber Count (HFC) fiber optic connectors, such as jumpers and pigtails, and in particular, those which include at least twenty-four connectors is complex. First, a plastic corrugated tube is cut to a break out length of the cable. Groups of twelve or more fibers, each having a connector at a distal end thereof, are gathered into a sub unit. The sub units are carefully threaded, or guided, through the plastic corrugated tube.
An end of the sub units is pulled out past an end of the corrugated tube, i.e., the corrugated tube is pushed beyond the break out length, so that the connectors and fibers can be prepared for packaging. The fibers and associated connectors within each sub unit are than gathered together and secured in a bundle using a tie, for example a tie having a hook and loop fastener. The tie is wrapped around the group of fibers at a location below an end of the connectors.
A set of the sub units are grouped together, for example, typically two sub units are grouped together. A plastic poly sleeve material is then threaded over the two subunits of cable. This is done on the remaining groups of sub units. The poly sleeve is gathered together at the connector end at a location below the end of the connector and secured with tape. The connector end of the poly sleeve is then heat sealed closed. At the opposite end of the poly sleeve, the sleeve is folded and secured to the cable with tape. This is repeated on all sub units.
The lengths of each sub unit must be different so that all of the connectors are not grouped at a single location. Furthermore, it is desirable to minimize the amount of plastic corrugated tube needed to protect the fibers. Accordingly, several radius controller devices are used.
The radius controller is a device that is used to control the bending radius of the fiber when the breakout lengths of the cable are folded back over the device. Thus, the radius controller devices simulate staggered breakout lengths. Furthermore, the total length of the grouped sub units of fibers is significantly reduced (in total length) when folded back over the radius devices.
Tape is wrapped around the poly sleeve material below the radius controller device to secure the radius controller device in place with the group fibers bent around the device. This is done on all groups of subunits.
The plastic corrugated tube is then carefully pulled back over the bundle of subunits. Plastic mesh material is used as end caps for the corrugated tube. The mesh is secured to the corrugated tube with tape.
The reverse process is performed to unpackage the fiber bundles.
However, the conventional method is very time consuming and complicated both in packaging and unpackaging. Furthermore, the fibers may break or become kinked during installation and/or removal from the corrugated tube. In particular, when the plastic tube is pulled over the bundled cables of connectors, the connectors may get caught in the tube which in turn will damage the fiber. Also, since the fibers are tightly connected to one another with tape and the radius controller device, if one fiber becomes caught or is otherwise pulled, there is a high likelihood that the fiber will break or become damaged.
In addition, after the cable assembly is packaged, the conventional technology does not allow the manufacturing facility to verify that the fiber is not kinked or otherwise damaged.
Also, the current technology does not organize the connectors in a concise small package, but is instead large and bulky in size and shape. In fact, the conventional packaging with the corrugated tube is sometimes too large to pull through cable ductwork, raceways, or conduits in the field. In addition, the existing technology is also not modular in design, and thus cannot be easily grouped and ungrouped with other such packages of fiber bundles causing additional bulkiness in transport. Further, the current technology is expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified method of packaging fiber bundles that is more time and cost efficient than the conventional method and which provides adequate protection of the fibers. There also is a need for an improved packaging apparatus.